6 Best Cheap Nike Basketball Shoes

At $110 a pair, the Nike Ja 1 is not the cheapest offer out there. Yet, among all the cheap basketball shoes (priced below the $134 average) that we tried playing in, it’s the Ja 1 from Nike that delivered the best performance thanks to its amazing traction, unwavering support, and immense upper durability.

Quick direction changes and stopping on a dime were like child’s play for the Ja 1 because of how effective its bite on the court was. The multidirectional pattern on it indeed worked as it should

When it comes to support, we have the responsive upper materials and the stiff heel counter to thank. The upper truly felt secure without being overly restrictive. The heel counter, for its part, could really withstand some good squeeze in the lab. Hence, it truly deserves the 4 out of 5 it got for stiffness.

Both the toebox and the heel padding got a 5 out of 5 for durability. Our Dremel tests just seemed like laughable pinches for these two; our drilling barely left a mark on them!

It’s just sad that the shoe’s overall durability did not extend to the sole. The rubber outsole exhibited 1.6 mm of damage after our Dremel drilling. An average shoe would have incurred only 1.1 mm of damage.

We played many games and performed a lot of lab tests on the G.T. Cut Academy before crowning it as the shoe with the best value for money among the cheap Nike basketball kicks. It's an all-rounder that includes multiple details that are usually featured in more expensive pairs.

At 31.6/23.5 mm, its heel and forefoot stacks are higher than average. Its midsole includes a springy Air Zoom Unit that provided great energy return for our quick cuts. The best part is that this impact-protective cushioning didn't make the shoe heavy, as our scale returned 12.06 oz/342 g when we measured its weight, which is way less than average.

A supportive structure hugs the midsole, offering fantastic foot containment and lockdown. It scored a perfect 5/5 on our torsional rigidity test, which means twisting an ankle shouldn't be easy. What's more, its lacing structure includes extra eyelets that offer a customized fit!

Nonetheless, we're talking about a budget shoe, and we've verified its materials are not the most durable. If you're looking for something that will stay by your side for a long time, this isn't it.

For us, the LeBron Witness 7 is the most comfortable Nike cheap shoe not only because of its immense breathability but also because of the topnotch impact protection that it delivers. We also appreciated the amazing traction it has on various court surfaces.

Scoring a 4 out of 5 for ventilation, this shoe felt quite airy even when we were playing intensely on the court. Both smoke and light passed through its porous upper quite easily when we did our breathability tests in the lab. 

Our caliper measured the thickness of the heel to be 34.1 mm, one of the highest numbers in our records. The thick heel tooling provided a lot of compression and impact protection, keeping us pain-free during our games. 

We fell even more in love with this shoe when it became clear that its grip on the court was nothing short of superb. We never had problems stopping on a dime or changing directions quickly.

It’s just disappointing that the upper is not anywhere near the durability that we desire. Regrettably, the toebox only got the lowest 1 out of 5 after performing the Dremel test on it.

Among all the cheap options that Nike offers, it's the Air Max Impact 4 that we consider the best for outdoors. Not only was this shoe quite durable and firm, it also felt supportive and delivered a good deal of wraparound comfort. We are in awe that a $90 shoe is able to deliver more than many other Nike shoes (with $135 average price)!

According to our HC durometer, the outsole is harder (87.5) than average (81.5). A Dremel test in the lab also revealed that the upper is fairly sturdy, garnering a score of 3 out of 5. Taken together, these qualities make the Nike Air Max Impact 4 a good outdoor basketball shoe.

We felt the moderately stiff heel counter and quite rigid base worked together to keep our feet in place during the games. In the lab, we squeezed the heel counter to further test how firm it is. It got a 3 out 5 from us for its balanced stiffness. We also twisted the shoe to assess its torsional resistance. It was quite resistant, indeed, so a score of 4 out of 5 was warranted.

Comfort was delivered from all directions. The upper was quite breathable, garnering a solid 3 out of 5 in our smoke breathability test. We also have the well padded tongue, which the caliper assessed to be 2.3 mm thicker than the typical tongue. The tongue gave the top of our feet the pampering that they deserve.

Wide-footers, however, are not expected to join in the fun. The Air Max Impact 4 is only 101.1 mm wide at its widest point. This is practically equal to the average width (101.0 mm).

After spending many hours hooping in the Precision 7 and studying it in the lab, we can confidently claim it's the best lightweight pair among the best cheap lightweight Nike shoes. Our scale and our feet agree, it feels just like a feather!

When we put it on the scale it returned 11.61 oz/329g. It's a wonderful 19% lighter than average, which favored our quick-footwork-based play style. The best part is that this comes in a tough structure: the upper scored a 5/5 on our toebox durability test; and the outsole ended up with a dent of only 0.9 mm after the same Dremel challenge. As the damage is lower than average, it means the materials used are pretty durable.

But that's not all. This Nike model features a tongue of 10.5 mm according to our caliper. It's more padded than average, which should increase the overall shoe's weight. But just like the 120.2 mm of its midsole width in the forefoot (which, by the way, provided us with safe landings), it didn't jeopardize the Precision 7 feathery nature.

The problem here is that this shoe doesn't include any specific technologies from its brand. Even though this might not be an issue for some, we believe others might find it lacking.

After thoroughly testing this hooper both on the court and in our lab, we've decided it has graduated as the shoe with the best versatility among the cheap Nike basketball pairs. The Immortality 4 is a solid all-rounder whose adaptability to different playstyles makes it suitable for every position.

It all starts with a lightweight design that makes it a fantastic 14% less heavy than average. We felt quick in this shoe during our play tests, which is something our Dremel would've never guessed after the perfect score (5/5) this shoe got on our heel padding durability test. So, apart from being padded and comfortable, it didn't drag our feet down.

The Immortality 4’s structured upper scored two solid 5/5 on our torsional rigidity and heel counter stiffness tests, which translated into a supportive and lockin feel during our games. The Renew foam of its midsole also contributed to the overall comfort and support, offering a springy ride that made our footwork even quicker.

The thing is that, as we played for hours in this hooper, from our experience we can say it might not have enough impact protection for bigger players or hoopers who focus on rebounding and/or jump constantly.